Our good friends at Ducati News Today have released more photos of the Ducati Diavel that Roland Sands built at his Southern California shop. While this photo is RSD’s take on how the Diavel should look, Roland and his crew have made a variety of accessories and OEM parts that Ducati will carry for the Diavel when it officially launches.

You’re not likely to hear Ducati brass tout the fact though, as they’ve tried to distance themselves from Roland Sand Design’s involvement — a misstep in our opinion. If anyone can connect the stodgy custom chopper market to a more hip and younger motorcycling audience, it’s Roland Sands Design, and Ducati could do well to associate themselves with the talent surrounding that firm. After all Roland Sands Design is really the only link in the US market that exists between the sport bike and cruiser markets.

Regardless the 2011 Ducati Diavel is Ducati’s take on the performance cruiser category, and may rival the Monster 696 as Ducati’s shortest motorcycle. Based on the Multistrada 1200’s 11° Testastretta motor, the Diavel will make more power than its sport-touring counterpart, and weighs a paltry 456lbs. With Ducati Traction Control (DTC), anti-lock brakes, and multiple rider modes, the Diavel continues Ducati’s use of electronics on consumer vehicles, and cleverly enough will be a first to do so for this market segment (a high-tech cruiser, who would have thunk it?).

The 2011 Ducati Diavel will come in two versions, one with obviously more bling and performance parts. Good money also suggests the higher-spec model will feature a plethora of carbon fiber body work, which was officially teased by Ducati last week. Expect to see more teasers as we get closer to the 2010 Ducati Diavel’s unveiling at the EICMA show in Milan. More info as we get it.

If a company is going to build a cruiser, there are 2 obvious, broad ways to approach it…a vintage re-do or something not yet tried. The latter will always generate various opinions.

If you are a designer @ Ducati and management tasked you w/building their cruiser, how would your design look?

(nevermind about the decision to build a cruiser in the first place because the decision has been made)

More dragbike styling instead of Ducati Fighter-influence?

JR

Yeah, it looks better than the V-rod and you don’t look like you’re taking a crap with your feet below you rather than sticking straight out in front of you.

It’s a power cruiser, it’s not going to look like a sportbike… if it did, people would bitch that it looks too much like a sportbike.

CBR600RR 09

2009? Is that photo lying to us?

Otherwise I think it is an exceptional bike! Smooth flowing lines and a super awesome speedo to boot!

Isaac

hoyt would you like to see what I would have done for a cruiser? I am an Industrial Designer you know.

hoyt

sure, Isaac, but it was a rhetorical question to anyone, regardless if they’re an industrial designer

Tom

At least Ducati isn’t going the bland route like Harley does decade after decade. Bold designs evoke strong emotions. Thankfully, Ducati doesn’t try to appeal to everyone. There will never be a Ducati Camry.

wacom

Isaac, I am calling you out. Lets see it. I know ID fellas a pleanty, and I (we) would like to see a link to your power cruiser.

I will hold my judgement on Ducati’s power cruiser attempt until I can get some seat time. However, in this boring american cruiser market, we need something to revolutionize the way these “tired” manufactures/consumers view the market. If is was not for products like the Diavel, we would be building aircooled twins until apocolypse. So I guess I can say I am optimistic about this Ducati departure in direction.

Andrey

Well I have to give credit to Roland Sands for making the back half of this look pretty good to my eye. Cannot understand why Ducati altered the design of the back of the bike to what they chose… I mean this is sleek at the back end…….. what they have on the spyshot bike looks like someone hacked the end of with a machete. In the first photo above the back half of the bike looks OK to me…

gnmac

Son of a buck this thing just gets uglier and uglier – why must we continued to be tortured by this beastly stepsister of the Italian beauty???!!!! You know, Luca Bar (Bar Design, check it) rendered out a cruiser concept called the D66 (I think) and it looked like the sickest power cruiser ever while retaining the lithe, aggressive, track-bred swagger of the Streetfighter, Monster, and the SBK and MotoGP Duc’s. Why couldn’t Duc’ have just hired Bar to pen it rather than this porker????? Luca Bar – where the h are you – save us from Duca-zilla please!!!

Keith

WTF? Have they decided to see if they can design something UGLIER than a BMW?????

MrBlistershifter

Ducati should keep their distance from Roland Sands. He has effed up a lot of great bikes because he has no concept of how to design anything that looks decent.

MrBlistershifter

Why would Ducati let someone “customize” a new bike and show it before the bike is even released ?? Roland Sands should take up knitting.

http://Xforex.com Erez

It’s an amazing machine no matter what u guys say,,,,,,,the master of all masterpiece of any bike ever made,,!!!!

http://Xforex.com Erez

I will be the firest one in Israel to get this bike!

http://Xforex.com Erez

I hope they will relies it as soon as possible!

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